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Hey it’s Wednesday and that means it’s Rumor Mill Time….America’s homebrewers will be flooding into Beer City this summer -we’ll be bringing you absolutely everything we know so far! Plus we’ve some more good news from our friends at Founders and a Rumor Mill Beer Pick that you’ll want to chase down.
So fasten your seat belts everybody because….THIS WEEK’S RUMOR MILL IS ON!
First the Good News: Beer Sales up In January (Washington, DC) – Frankly we’re not surprised – the ACB crew drank like maniacs in January – and it’s nice to be recognized. According to the Beer Institute, overall beer sales were up 0.7% from the same month last year – so they’re feeling us!
Next the Bad News: Overall Beer Sales Still Down (Washington, DC) – In spite of January’s uptick, beer’s overall sales are still down. The Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau reported a 1.5% decrease in overall beer sales. That’s a 2.6-million barrel loss in beer production or as The Street so succinctly described it, “basically akin to shutting down Boston Beer‘s Samuel Adams brand (which produced 2.7 million barrels in 2012) for an entire year.”
Mashing in Michigan (Boulder, CO) – The American Homebrewers Association (AHA) has just announced that the 2014 National Homebrewers Conference will be taking place on Thursday, June 12 through Saturday, June 14, in Grand Rapids Michigan. An estimated 4,000 attendees will have the opportunity to hear from nearly 80 presenters, including keynote speakers Dave Engbers and Mike Stevens of Founders Brewing Company.
The Founders World Domination Tour Continues (Grand Rapids, MI) – The Founders Brewing Company will soon be expanding its distribution territory to include three new states: Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Look for Founder’s beers to begin showing up on shelves and draft lines starting in April.
Boho Beer Company Could Command Big Bucks (Los Angeles, CA) – The blue-collar beer that hipsters and down-scale drinkers love to drink could be for sale. According to Reuters, food industry investor C. Dean Metropoulos is currently courting offers for the “boho chic” brand and that its eventual sale could fetch between $500 million and $1 billion dollars.
Shocker – Virginia State Legislators Do the Right Thing! (Richmond, VA) – In a concerning departure from form, VA state legislators have passed a bill that could actually benefit its citizens as well as Virginia’s craft brewers. Senate Bill 430, which legally defines breweries located on a farm, passed both houses of the Virginia General Assembly and is now awaiting the Governor’s signature. The bill will grant breweries located on farms similar privileges as farm wineries. The farm breweries are required to grow and use their agricultural products, such as hops or barley, in their beer.
A Rumor Mill Release You Want to Look Out For
Elysian Brewing is releasing the latest in their Oddland Series – a creative venture from the warped minds of Elysian Brewing and Seattle artist, Jim Woodring. Oddland Ginger Berry Brown Ale is brewed with three kinds of local fruit-raspberry, blackberry, and boysenberry–and given the thorny touch of juiced ginger. Add classic Northwest Centennial and Cascade hops and you’ve something you might want to chase down this March.
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